ALMOST £5billion has been secretly saved up and stashed away from spouses and partners, according to latest research.

This hidden cache of money and investments averages £1,037 for each of the 4.5 million secret savers aged over 40 who choose to keep their nest egg private.

Apparently one in 10 do so because they do not trust their partner’s financial decision-making, the study for Prudential discovered.

The survey, which examined couples’ attitudes to financial planning, found 15 per cent of Britons have a grand total of £4.6billion worth of secret funds – with 23 per cent describing the cash as a “security measure” in case they split up with their other half.

Women are more likely to keep their funds hidden, with 18 per cent admitting to secret savings averaging £1,002, compared with 12 per cent of men, who conceal an average fund of £1,072.Forty-two per cent of secret savers plan to use the money to supplement their retirement income – even though 20 per cent of those surveyed admit to never having discussed financial planning for retirement with their spouse or partner.

By harbouring secret stashes of money, many couples are failing to plan sufficiently for their joint retirement

Vince Smith-Hughes, head of business development at Prudential

Vince Smith-Hughes, head of business development at Prudential, said: “By harbouring secret stashes of money, many couples are failing to plan sufficiently for their joint retirement. While it is understandable that some people in relationships want to be able to spend their own money, it is important for couples to have regular and open discussions about financial planning for the sake of maximising their retirement incomes.”

The survey also found 17 per cent of Britons feel uncomfortable about discussing financial matters with their partner.